Montclair, NJ Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Montclair, NJ Consumers

New Jersey Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• New Jersey PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Essex County: Key information about your local probate court (Superior Court in New Jersey) for Essex County.
• How Probate Works in New Jersey: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Essex County's probate court.
  • Here are links to New Jersey probate forms from the New Jersey probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in New Jersey: Learn how to use New Jersey's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • There is no Affidavit procedure available in New Jersey. There is a summary probate procedure, but only if there's no valid Will:

    1. If the value of all property is less than $50,000, and the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner is entitled to all of it.

    N.J. Stat. Ann. 3B:10-3.

    2. If the value of all property is less than $20,000, and there is no surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, one heir, with the consent of the others, can file an Affidavit with the court and receive all of the assets.

    N.J. Stat. Ann. 3B:10-4.

• New Jersey Estate Taxes:

  • New Jersey, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in New Jersey. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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New Jersey Wage & Hour Law

• New Jersey Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in New Jersey is $15.13 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in The Garden State must be paid at least $15.13 an hour. (Employers with five or fewer employees may pay a slightly lower minimum wage; long-term care workers have a slightly higher minimum wage.)

    Essex County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Essex County is $15.13 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities and counties in New Jersey are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities and counties across the country have done so. To find out whether Essex County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit https://essexcountynj.org/.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in New Jersey and whether they apply to you.
• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in New Jersey. 
• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in New Jersey.

  • In New Jersey, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $5.26 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $15.13 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under New Jersey law from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 609-292-2305

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New Jersey Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in New Jersey: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In New Jersey, unemployment benefits range from $144 per week to $830 per week.
  • Formula:

    Your weekly benefit amount in New Jersey will be 60% of your average weekly wage during the base period. 

  • Duration:

    In New Jersey, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in New Jersey.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free New Jersey MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Essex County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free New Jersey BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under New Jersey law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• New Jersey BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in New Jersey 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How New Jersey Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Essex County: Essex County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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New Jersey Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in New Jersey!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in New Jersey? Learn about whether New Jersey imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Essex County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In New Jersey, Essex County, Montclair 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Montclair, NJ.
• Gerrymandering in New Jersey: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Montclair, NJ

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration

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